Building Website Visibility

Creating a website for you business doesn’t matter if no one stops by to view it. Creating visibility for your website is very important, but can be tricky and time-consuming if you don’t know where to start.

Career Builder has a few tips that might help:

• Use descriptive and informative text on each page of your website, choosing words that relate directly to your product, service or industry.
• Highlight and feature your most important content first, in a clear, uncluttered fashion.
• Ask other relevant sites to link to yours. One measure search engines now use to measure your site’s importance is the quality, and, to a lesser extent, volume of outside sites that refer to your own.
• Be sure to create distinct titles for each of the pages on your website, and use your keywords in the titles.
• Write descriptions that are clear, factual and free of excessive superlatives (best, cheapest, biggest). People prefer sites that are more factual and less “sales talk.”
• If your geographic location is relevant, use it in your site and make it part of your list of keywords.
• Don’t expect all search engines and online directories to find you. Many directories, such as the Yahoo! directory and the Open Directory project, offer paid submission options - take advantage of them.

Seven Steps to Successful Public Relations for Your Startup

PR is just as vital to your startup as marketing. It is an effective, almost always free, way to get your name out to the public. Startup Nation has a great checklist for creating a strong PR campaign for your company that is worth checking out. Here are the bullet points:

1. Create an action plan
2. Research the media
3. Develop story ideas
4. Prepare a media kit
5. Write a press release
6. Contact the media
7. Get the word out

Using Signage to Promote Your Small Business

When it comes to marketing your small business, print and new media advertising probably come to mind. While these are effective, it is important not to overlook one thing: signage.

Startup Nation has a great article on how to use signage to your advantage. Whether it’s a large sign outside of your physical location, or car magnets and yard signs with your company name and web address, getting your name and logo out there is one of the most important things you need to do to ensure success.

Using Text Messaging to Reach Your Customers

Marketing your startup has never been easier or more cost efficient. With new technologies, reaching your customer base is only a touchpad away. Startup Nation has a great article on how to use text messaging (SMS) to reach your target audience. If you’re on the fence, here are some statistics to consider:

• 18-29 year old consumers use text messaging more often than voice to communicate.
• On average 94% of text messages are read.
• 80% of consumers keep their mobile with them all day.
• When given a choice 39% of US consumers — 76 million people — prefer text messages to radio or TV advertising.

Say Goodbye to Cold-Calling

When it comes to generating leads for your business, cold-calling is so 1995. With today’s technology, all it takes to get your business’s name out there is an internet connection and little creativity.

Entrepreneur Magazine has an interesting article on this topic. They suggest writing a “free report” about a topic that is pertinent to your business. Once this report is completed, include a link to it on all of your marketing material. If this report is well-written and interesting, the leads should start flowing into your business.